Thank goodness Ken Burns The Roosevelts series is over

Fascinating programs, but I haven't gotten anything done for a week!

I only got to see a couple, and they were fantastic.

14 hours. Sheesh! Superbly done. I missed the first two, watched 3, 4, 5, recorded 1 and 7. Ken Burns sets a high standard to excellence. It's always a treat to watch his histories.

S.J.

It was quite amazing to see the family interconnections and conflicts behind the public and political positions and actions. I skipped watching the last one, to listen to my Pickering XV-15 cartridge (see current thread about it), but I know the series will be reshown again in a few months. My mother graduated from high school right into the teeth of the depression--1932--having grown up on a tiny western Illinois farm. She always told me how FDR saved the country. People really did have a picture of him, right next to one of Jesus or a plaque of the Lord's Prayer, on the parlor wall, and hang on every word of Roosevelt's "fireside chats" as was shown in the documentary. I'm speaking here of history, and not trying to start a political discussion out of place, but you don't hear that kind of regard for the government being able to help people much anymore. A lot of knowledge hasn't been passed on, has been distorted or forgotten.

It was a scary time in history and FDR had a steady hand . It is amazing how the whole country came together to help . I was just reading an article about how all the car makers stop producing cars and contributed to the war effort .

Yeah, seems odd today in the west that then many tended to have pictures of their county's leaders on the walls whether the leader was FDR or Hitler, etc. May be an indication of the change in view or leaders or leadership.

I only watched a couple of of it. As a young'in I ran the movie projectors at my father's summer hotel at Alton Beach, NH. There were a number of test reels from FDR's period made by the government to a number of his programs, usually running from 10-15 minutes. Also, a number of news reels from the period promoting and showing how he was succeeding in turning things around and a few comparing Hoovers administration to FDR's. I gather then they were prequels to the main feature. I suppose these were all lost some years later when the hotel burnt to the ground, sadly. I especially was affected politically by the sale of Social Security to the public. It's purpose and scope then as sold and now is so different. As a 16 year old viewing it and thinking upon the subject, it formulated my views as to government's role and relationship to society, a view that has never changed after 50+ years.

I agree given the circumstances then, FDR was astute in domestic and economic affairs.

I felt the series was fantastic from start to finish.
The last installment was very sad tho, I thought. You have to admit, Teddy, Franklin and Eleanor were in-it-to-win-it.
Great series!

I really enjoyed the series. I remembered the bullet points of the TR and FDR presidencies, but fleshing out their lives was interesting. I didn't know much at all about ER, quite a person in her own right.

Much worse ways to spend a couple of hours an evening.

A family that left a legacy of facts on the ground that benefitted most folks.


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Missed the last installment, but the rest were pretty good.

Always liked TR. One helluva character.

Busy week - I set the TIVO and checked periodically to be sure it got them all ...
We'll have to bing watch at some point - 14 hours, whew!

Now go and watch his brothers 14 hour pbs doc called New York, simply fantastic. Nobody knows nyc until you watch it. Its my favorite documentary next to carl sagans cosmos.

Ps i have the entire roosevelts recorded to watch.

I recorded all of them, but so far I'm only through the third. Watching them as time allows.

I managed to catch parts 1 & 2, but haven't been able to watch the rest...I'll have to catch up on PBS' website!

I am through 2 1/2 and have all but one DVRed. As usual with Ken Burns, there are some great history lessons. And piecing together all those photos and film clips creates a sense of being there . . . great stuff!

Roger

Got 'em all downloaded...gonna wait till I have a bit of free time 'fore I watch 'em.

I've only seen 2 of them so far but have the rest tivo'd...

Excellent job....

Saw the first four, through the Crash and first part of Depression. Missed the Dustbowl and WW II due to roadtrip. Anybody know how it turned out?

I watched some of it, typical Ken Burns quality.

Hey Echowars, would that be the evil twin of Roland of Gilead? Hile, gunslinger!
I'm re-reading Wolves of the Calla.

Sorry, off topic.

The documentary didn't shy away from the more unsavory parts of Eleanor and Franklin's sexual proclivities, which I feel is worth noting.

Him, or the headless Thompson gunner. Read the books 3 or 4 times. Good stuff.

Both were great men, but I admire Teddy leagues more than Franklin (and I'll let it go at that, since beyond lies politics and dissension). But as a novice student of 20th century history, this is a 'must see'.